Rilen folded his hands. “Would you like one of us to talk to Elex? Explain this is not just about you wanting some physicality again?”
“Oh, gods, no!” I shook my head violently. “No, no.”
Roran put his hand over mine. “Then you will try to talk to him tonight?”
“I try every night, Roran.”
He looked down at his plate and nodded. “Of course. But please remember we are here for you. You are one of the temple masters, and we will help if you ask us to.”
I swallowed. What I wanted from these two was not help getting my boyfriend in bed with me. I wanted them to crawl in with me.
Both of them. At the same time.
Holy crap. Did my body respond to that idea?
I also regretted not putting on at least a small pair of panties because I was pretty sure the evidence of my sudden arousal was all over the seat of my robe.
Damn it.
But once again, the two of them took over what had to be done in the kitchen and were happily cleaning up for the night, politely leaving Elex a plate of food.
I had no idea when he would be back, and it made me feel bad—but I couldn’t explain why.
Rilen found the brandy in the cabinet and pulled out three glasses for us. He stopped as he was about to close the cabinet.
I knew what he had found.
Reaching in, he pulled out a tall, stoppered bottle with what looked like liquid stars inside. Swirling it, I was hypnotized by how it flashed and sparkled in the dim lights of the room.
Roran stood, rather violently, from the table. “Is that…”
A simple shrug from his brother said everything. Rilen removed the stopper, and the unmistakable scent of night jasmine, white nightshade and winter slumber blooms filled the room.
“It’s a sleeping draught.” He passed it under his nose and staggered back a moment. “It’s a concentrate. That’s why it looks like that. This is enough to put several elephants to sleep.”
Roran’s voice was full of rebuke. “Why in S’Kir do you have this?”
I sighed. “Sometimes, Elex has night terrors. The only thing that gets him into a sleep deep enough to not remember them is the Vampire’s Draught. If he wakes in the middle of the night, he puts just a few drops in a finger of whiskey and comes back to bed.”
Recorking the bottle, Rilen shook his head. “This is a serious sleeping potion.”
I swallowed. More things I didn’t want to share. “He punched me in my sleep, twice, from the terrors. He didn’t want to do it a third time. The other draughts didn’t work as well. They couldn’t get him as deep, or they froze him in the terrors.”
“There are about four healers in all of S’Kir who can make this.” Rilen swirled the bottle again. “This was not easy to find… or inexpensive.”
“The professor helped him find the healer,” I said. “I think he said they had to take a train there to get the draught.”
Roran made a noncommittal noise while Rilen put the bottle back.
“Has he seen a healer about these night terrors?” Roran asked.
“Since he was a child. He always had good days and bad days growing up.”
Rilen closed the cabinet with a click. “Well, let’s just enjoy this brandy, and we’ll be on our way. We’ll trust that you have a plan to seduce your man.”
“I do,” I grinned, grateful for the change of subject.
“Then, brandy.” Roran lifted the glass. “And I need a bath. You gave me quite the workout.”
Not the kind I wanted.
I was at least able to hold in my disappointed sigh.
*
“Kimber?”
It felt like small earthquakes shaking me, and I tried to ignore them.
“Come on, Kimber.”
More little quakes.
My brain woke up, and I shot up from the couch.
The tremors stopped.
After a deep breath, I looked around and found Elex sitting on the couch looking confused and exhausted.
“Did you… That wasn’t a tremor?”
He gave me a smile. “No, it wasn’t a tremor. You fell asleep on the couch.”
“Oh…” I mumbled. I glanced down and saw my robe open.
The plan for the night came rushing back to me. “Oh, Elex. I was waiting for you!” I pulled the robe closed and turned around. “I was waiting for you, and I was…”
He was snoring.
I sat down next to him and leaned into his shoulder. “I was waiting for you. All I want to do is make love. Just once. I don’t want our world to die. I don’t want the mountain to crush us.”
“I’m sorry, love,” he mumbled, fighting sleep. “I don’t have to go to the university tomorrow.”
“Stay. Stay in bed with me. I’m navigating this new life alone. I’m lost and confused most of the time.”
He pressed a kissed to my head. “I’ll stay.”
I nudged him. “Let’s at least sleep in the bed.”
“Mmm, agreed.”
It took all we had to get off the couch and make our way to the bedroom. I don’t know who fell asleep faster.
*
The sun shone against my eyelids, and I tried to ignore it.
But a moment later, the smell of breakfast and fresh, hot tea tickled my nose, and I had to find out where it was coming from.
I sat up and realized I was completely naked. Looking around, I was happy to realize, and then remember, I was in my own bedroom.
Elex and I had at least shared the bed.
A start.
My robe was hanging on the bedpost. I grabbed it and swung it around me, tucking it in and tying it.
Following the delicious smell of cooking, and a moment later, the snap of a frying pan, I wandered into the kitchen.
Elex was standing at the stove, bent over pulling something out of the cast iron oven. I watched, half asleep until I saw him go in without a potholder.
“Elex—”
“Ouch!” He yanked his hand back out and waved it maniacally in the air.
“Get your hand in the basin, get some water on it,” I instructed, snatching the potholder off the hook next to the stove.
I pulled out the muffin tin and set it on the butcher block near the water basin. Elex was grimacing as the cold well water cascaded over his palm.
“I wanted to surprise you.” He glanced over at me and had a sweet, apologetic look on his face.
“Trust me, I’m surprised.” I nodded at his hand. “Okay?”
The palm of his hand was angry red, but I didn’t see any permanent damage. “Do you want to call for the healer? Just to be safe?”
“I’m fine. Just a little dumb.”
“We’ve all done it. Would you like me to take over?”
He grunted. “Please. Before I screw it up anymore. I swear I know how to cook.”
“Of course, I know. But we all mess up once in a while.” The fork was resting on the hot stove, and I shook my head. “If it weren’t the oven, it would have been this.” I pointed to the utensil.
“Gods and goddesses, I’m too tired!” Elex wrapped a wet towel around his hand and sat at the table.
I found a new, cold fork and started turning the food, smiling and shaking my head.
In the back of mind, though, I was calm. Hopeful. This felt right and good, and I was relaxed. Maybe, just maybe, I could talk him into bed.
His hand trailed down my arm.
Maybe I didn’t have to talk him into bed.
“I’m sorry, Kimber. I am. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast to make up for all the early mornings and late nights. You understand this is a pivotal time. I don’t want to screw this up.”
“I do get it, Elex. But you have to understand I’m also working in a whole new world. I just… need you here once in a while.”
He rested his chin on my shoulder. “We picked exactly the wrong time to get involved at this level.”
“We’re good for that.” I laughed. “Our timing always sucks.”
His hand traveled around my waist, and I felt his lips on the curve of my neck. It felt good, nice, familiar.
“Take the bacon off the stove,” he whispered. “We’ll finish cooking later.”
Not a word of dissent from me. I grabbed the potholder and yanked the pan to the butcher block, dropping it there as he found the front seam of my robe.
Oh, gods, his hand felt so good on my breast. So good.
“Bedroom, please,” I hissed.
He spun and scooped me up, heading out of the kitchen and directly to the bedroom.